OAA strives to make Ohio a place where all animals are protected from cruelty, abuse, and neglect. Currently, thousands of innocent puppies and breeding dogs are vulnerable to the inhumanities of puppy mills, and we need your help to change this.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has continuously failed to control the abusive puppy mill industry in Ohio and to hold the abusers accountable. Breeders disregard the health of their dogs to keep costs low and maximize their profits. According to Humane World research, most puppies sold in pet stores and through online retailers are born in puppy mills.

We’re excited to announce that the 2025 Ohio Animal Foundation small grant cycle is officially open! Applications will be accepted from May 1 through June 1, 2025, and we encourage Ohio-based nonprofit organizations working to support companion animals and/or Ohio wildlife to apply.

Justice is expected to be served for dozens of individuals—both human and canine—caught in a devastating puppy scam that spanned across Ohio and beyond.

On Thursday, April 24, April Waidman of Goshen Township will be sentenced in Mahoning County Court after pleading guilty to over 80 charges, including 45 felony theft counts. Waidman admitted to taking payments for puppies that customers never received, defrauding families across the country of more than $106,000.

A new proposal at the Ohio Statehouse is sparking intense discussion among lawmakers, animal welfare advocates, and communities across the state. Representative Kevin Miller (R-Newark) is drafting legislation that would mandate euthanasia for dogs that seriously injure or kill a human during an unprovoked attack—removing judicial discretion that currently exists under Ohio law.

For years, Steffen Baldwin was seen as a hero in the animal rescue world—a self-proclaimed “dog whisperer” who claimed to rehabilitate the unadoptable, the aggressive, and the misunderstood. He built a public persona based on compassion, gaining the trust of shelters, rescue groups, and dog lovers across the country. But behind the carefully curated image was a deeply disturbing truth: Baldwin was not saving dogs. He was killing them.

The city of Campbell, Ohio, is making it clear: illegal and unethical animal breeding will no longer be tolerated. In a powerful move during Wednesday’s regular council meeting, Council President George Levendis delivered a message to those engaging in improper breeding practices: “It’s going to stop.”

In a heartwarming yet heartbreaking rescue mission, Operation Saves, a Toledo-based animal rescue, has taken in more than a dozen dogs saved from a puppy mill. The conditions these dogs endured were described as appalling, but thanks to the dedication and compassion of rescuers, they are now on their way to a better life.